Electric-fixture coupling



June 1 1926. 1,586,709

A. l. scHwlNGER ELECTRIC FIXTURE COUPIJING 7 all lin/11677307 Ltg .a @d 0M Unirse srarss ABRAHAM l.

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PATENT OFFICE.

scnwrnenn, or rnrnannnrnrn, PENNSYLVANIA, AssrGNon or one, nana To entre a. fancwira es BUFFALO, nsw

YORK.

ELECTRlC-FIXTRE COUPLING.

Application inea July s,

This invention relates to a coupling for electric fixtures which permits of conveniently wiring such fixtures before mounting the same in a building` and has for its object the production of such a couplinol which is simple in construction, low in cost, reliable in operation and permits et conveniently and expeditiously connecting the house wires with the iiirture wires for completing the electrical connections.

in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing one term oi my invention used for mounting an electric lighting iiXture on the ceiling oiZ a room, the section being falten on line 1--1, Fig. 3. Figures v2 and El. are horizontal sections taken on the correspondinoly numbered lines in Fig. 3. Figure 4 is a r cal section taken on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of the coupling. Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view, showing one form ot wiring capable of being used in connection with my invention.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

My improved coupling may be varied as to details and used in connection witheither multiple or series wiring and applied to lixtures oi various forms and the organization shown in the drawings is therefore to be regarded as only one example of a suitable installation. As there shown, the coupling comprises a body or block 10 ot insulating material which has the form ofv a circular dislr made of libre or other approved material of this character. 1n the center of this body is arranged a bushing 11 of metal which is preferably anchored in the body by placing the bushing in a suitable mold and casting the plastic material for the body around the bushing so that the latter will be secured in the body when the plastic material has become dry and hard.

0n one side of this body, preferably its upper side, the same is provided with aplurality of grooves, three oi such grooves 12, 13, 14, being shown for example in the drawings, and each of these grooves being curved concentrically with the axis of the body, althoughnot necessarily so. On the same side of the` body which contains the grooves and extending voutwardly from the same to the periphery ci the' body' are a plurality of .step ingA 34 Vwhich was. serial no. 573,693.

notches 15, 16, 17, which are adapted to receive the iiXture wires 19, 20, 40, 41, 42, 43 land the house wires 21, 22 and 50, which are to be-coupled.

Arranged on the bottom of the grooves 12, 13, 14 are a plurality of coupling plates 24, 25, 26 of metal which are curved to contorni to the grooves and which are held in place therein by fastening screws 27 passing upwardly through openings'in the body and engaging their threaded upper ends with threaded openings in the plates and having the `heads at' their lower ends arranged in countersunlr recesses 28 which are filled' with an insulating material 29 such as resin for the purpose of covering the head-s or" these screws and preventing accidental contact therewith, as shown in Fig. 4.

The wiring in the drawings is intended tor connecting the house or supply wires with one 0r two lighting circuits, so as to illimi- `nate all orsonie of the lamps ofV a fixture. For this purpose, the three house wires are connected respectively with the coupling plates 24, 25, 26, and two sets of lamps 30, 31 are employed, one fixture wire ot each lamp 30 being connected with the plate 24 and the companion wire with the plate 25, and one iirture wire of each lamp 31 being connected with the plate and the companion wire with the plate 26, as shown in the diagram in Fig. 6. By means of this wiring, a closing of the circuit, which includes the wires 21, 22, will light only the lamps while a closing of the circuit including the wire 21 on one side of the circuita-nd thewires 22, on the other side ot' the circuit, will light all of the lamps and thus permit of either a partial or full illumination of the fixture, as desired.

Each oi the house and fixture wires is preferably' connected with its respective coupling plate by a binding),` screw 32 which engages its threaded shank with a threaded opening in one oi the plates and which is adapted to clamp a turn 33 of the respective wire between its head and the adjacent conpliug plate. t has been tound in practico that the turns 33 of these wires are liable to slip trom underneath the heads of the binding screws upon tightening the latter and thus produce imperfect connections. `'lo avoid this, the coupling plates are, provided adjacenteach binding sereinr opening with a preferably stru-cls up freni the nietal oit the saine in such position that the turn o't' the uire around the adjacent binding` screuv will engage this stop soV that upontightening the screw its heed will bear iirinly against the saine und produce u nood electrirai connection.

The electric coupling' is preferably mounted on the fixture by engaging the internal screw thread oi the bushing); with un externally thriaded .li.\;turc pipe 35, :is .Qhoun in Fig. 1. @n the lower vend ot this fixture pipe, the canopy 3G oil the ,iiture may be mounted, and this canopy niay carry the Several lamps 30, 3l, but the di'siiiosition oi the lainps and the manner of mountingl the saine n'iay be varied Widely to suit the particular design ct 'fixture and the use itor which the saine is intended.

The upper end of the fixture pipe isl preterablyconnected by a hiclrey 37 with the conduit 3S containing' the house Wires Qi,

5t), this hickey haring: its lowerend connected by a screw joint with the fixture pipe and its upper' end connected with the house conduit by a screw joint, While its intermediate part is .provided with an .opening '39 through which the house Wires pass to the binding screws. y p

In order to conceal the bindingscrews and prevent accidental Contact therewith which otherwise might cross the velectric Wires and endanger the building, a cover all or' insulating` material such as sheet `libre,

is ar 'ringed orer the top 'ol the body so as to close the upper sides of the grooves and notches therein, as best shown in Figs. l and 1i. This cover lnay be held in placcby any Suitable, ineans, for instance, by claniping its central part between the upper side ot the body and the loii'er or inner cud ot the hiehey.

An electric lixture coupling embodying these improvements is simple and compact in construction and can not only be manu- 'lactured economically but Vthe saine f lso iacilitatesrthe mounting ot electric lighting iixtures and renders the Wiring o'l the sinne perfectiy safe.

I claiin as iny invention An electricv iixture coupling comprising,l n body oi insulating niaterial in'oi'ided ou one side With concentric grooves and radial notches extending troni said'grooi'cs to the periphery of the body. and adapted to receive electric Wires, curved nietal coupling' platesarranged in said grooves, ineens tor connecting` the wires to said plates, a nietal bushing anchored in said bodyand having; an internal sci-eur thread adapted to receire an externally threaded conduit, a hiclwj,Y secured to one end ol' said couduit,'a`n rl an insulating cover arranged over said grooves and notches and engaging underneath the inner end oic saidhiciey.

ABRAHAM I. SCHVIN GER. 

